Treating cracked petroleum distillates



Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED sTAT s PATENT on (V i TREATING CRACKED PETROLEUM DIS- 1 TILLATES .lohn Smoots, Shaker Heights, Ohio, assignor to The Standard Oil Company, Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio No Drawing. Original application August 23,

1929,, Serial No. 387,932. Divided and this application September 8, 1933, Serial No.

688,610 14 Claims.

' gum formation tendency in certain instances is found to be accentuated on prolonged storage. An effective means for preventing or inhibiting such condition is fundamentally important and highly desirable; and in accordance with the 15 present inventionproducts may be had which highly satisfactorily meet such needs. i To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the. features hereinafter fully described, and particuzo larly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain emhodiments of the invention, these being illustrative however, of but a few of .the various ways, in which theprinciple of the invention may be 2 employed. In proceeding 'in accordance with my invention, the cracked petroleum distillate, such as is of the character prone to develop gum-formation, is subjected to the action of an organic com-- 30 poundinhibitive of such tendency and result.

nated as organic gum-inhibiting agents of composltionconforming to a type formula HO.RX, in 45 which H is a hydroxyl in ortho or alpha position and RX is a cyclic radical of single or double ring. Desirably the petroleum treated is neutral or basic. r The amount of such agent required is small, 50 for instance 0.0004 to 0.5 per cent. In general, therefore, it is not necessary to exceed one-half of one per cent, or at the outside one per cent. Since these agents are in some instances solid compounds, a desirable method of incorporating 5 the material into the petroleum distillate may in- 'volve first dissolving or incorporating the agent 1- with a suitable solvent, for instance convenient- 1y, ether, ethyl alcohol or methyl alcohol, benzol or the like, and such -solutwp tbcnbe mixed with the petroleum. For eg'ective proportional 5 mixing, while the-propers nount-fur a charge for a given batch of the pet-rolemn may: he simp y added in bulk to the petroleum in; container, and the mixture be suftablyagltated to a good degree of dissemination, preferably: I incorporate the liquid to be addedrby a proportional feeding. of the same into sa flowing stream'of the petroleum; A basic compound, especially an organic base,

is also desirably added in many cases. Thus. a

hydroxy compound, 'or more particularly a dihydroxy benzene derivative, and a basic material, preferably an organic base, as anilin or analogous compound, o-tol'uidin} .di-methyl anllin, etc., may advantageously be used in conjunction with each other. J a

.As an illustrative example: 27.5 lbs. of a-naphthol is dissolved in ether to'make up substantially p7 ten gallons volume. This isthen charged through a feeder and is so fed while 2500 barrels of gasoline is forwarded through .a pipe line.

- As another example: 15 lbs. of pyrogallol and Y 25 1bs.'.of anilin are dissolved in a solvent to make up substantially ten gallons volume, and this is fed proportionally into 2500 barrels of gasoline.

Similarly. as indicated. any of the various agents contemplated, whether hydroxy or dihydroxy phenols in ortho position, 'tri-hydroxy phenols, naphthols, anthracene'hydroxyl derlva ,tives, etc., can be incorporated, and crackeddistillates be so treated, and with a resultant inhibition of the tendency of the gum-formation when partially or completely evaporated in the presenceof small amounts of iron or copper, and with avoidance of such gums as tend to run down valve 40 stems and" cause sticking of valves in internal combustion engines. This application is a division of my prlor application Serial No. 387,932, nled August 23, 1929.

Other forms of applyl the principle of, my

invention may be emplo instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the details disclosed, provided the features set forth in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such stated features be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. As a new product, a motor fuel of cracked petroleum distillate treated with a dlhydroxy aromatic compound with one ring and a gasoline soluble organic base comprising a monocyclic aromatic amine.

2. As a new product, a motor fuel of cracked petroleum distillate treated with catechol and a gasoline soluble organic base comprising a monocyclic aromatic amine.

3. A process of the character described, which comprises inhibiting gum formation in motor fuel, by subjecting such motor fuel to the action of a dihydroxy aromatic compound with one ring and a gasoline soluble organic base comprising a. monocyclic aromatic amine.

4. A process of the character described, which comprises inhibiting gum formation in motor fuel, by subjecting such motor fuel to the action of catechol and a gasoline soluble organic base comprising a monocyclic 'aromatic amine.

5. As a new product, a motor fuel of cracked petroleum distillate treated with a di-hydroxy phenol and an amine, petroleum soluble and'of basic property of the group consisting of aniline, o-toluidin, and di-methyl-anil'in.

' 6. As a new product, a motor fuel of cracked petroleum distillate treated with catechol and an amine, petroleum soluble and of basic property of the group consisting of aniline, o-toluidin, and di-methyl-anilin.' I

7. As a new product. a motor fuel of cracked petroleum distillate treated with a di-hydroxy comprises inhibiting gum-formation in cracked petroleum distillate motor fuel by subjecting such motor fuel to the action of catechol and an amine, petroleum soluble and of basic property of the group consisting of aniline, o-toluidin, and di-methyl-anilin.

11. A process of the character described, which comprises inhibiting gum-formation in cracked petroleum distillate motor fuel bysubjecting such motor fuel to the action of a dihydroxy phenol and anilin.

12. A process of the character described, which comprises inhibiting gum-formation in cracked petroleum distillate motor fuel by subjecting such motor fuel to the action of catechol and anilin.

13. A process of the character described, which comprises inhibiting-gum-formation in cracked petroleum distillate motor fuel by dissolving in a solvent a di-hydroxy phenol and an amine petroleum-soluble and of basic property of the group consisting of aniline, o-toluidin, and dimethyl-anilin and proportionally mixing such solvent into the motor fuel.-

14. A process of the character described, which comprises inhibiting gum-formation in cracked petroleum distillate motor fuel by dissolving in ,a solvent catechol and an amine petroleum-soluble and of basic property of the group consisting of aniline, o-toluidin, and dimethyl-anilin and proportionally mixing such solvent into the motor fuel.

JOHN P. SMOQTS. 

